As President Donald Trump moves at lightning pace to implement promises made during the 2024 campaign to streamline government and cut out “waste, fraud and abuse,” he has been met with staunch resistance from a consortium of Democrat states and non-profits/non-governmental organizations. It seems almost daily that there is a new lawsuit filed, a new restraining order issued, or an order to return an employee to work despite being fired by the United States Chief Executive.
In one case, newly discovered evidence suggests that the federal judge presiding over claims levied against President Trump’s policy may have a serious conflict of interest. The case involves President Trump’s order to temporarily freeze federal funding and was published by America First Legal on the X platform.
Judge John McConnell, Chief Judge of the federal district court of Rhode Island, ordered a halt to the funding freeze in late January. Then, on February 10th, he said that the Trump Administration had not complied and ordered the funding to be unfrozen while legal proceedings continued. McConnell wrote in his order that “persons who make private determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt.”
The case was brought by 22 states and the District of Columbia, a “secret Blue State resistance” that was exposed by the Oversight Project last week.
As America First Legal (AFL) published on X, the judge presiding over the case has a “major potential conflict of interest.” Judge McConnell appears to be on the board of a non-governmental organization (NGO) that receives funding as a sub-awardee from multiple federal agency grants, including the Department of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services.
According to AFL, Judge McConnell used to be the Chairman of the Board from 2011 through 2021 and is still listed as Chair-Emeritus. Screenshots of Crossroads’ 2023 Form 990 show that Judge McConnell is still listed as a member of the Board and has been listed as a Director every year since 2006, including when he took the bench in 2013.
In 2023, the Form 990 shows that Crossroads Rhode Island received $18.6 million in government funding, which is more than half of the organization’s $30 million in revenue. Since McConnell became a board member in 2006, the organization has raked in over $117 million in government funding as of 2023. AFL expands this number to $128 million if you include FY2024 and FY2025, thus far.
AFL writes in their X post:
“Why is this significant? It is common practice for the federal government to disburse money to the states, which then hand it out to NGOs like Crossroads Rhode Island.
Here, Judge McConnell ordered taxpayer dollars to continue flowing to the states, including Rhode Island, ‘[s]tates rely on federal funds to provide and maintain vital programs.’
When Judge McConnell ruled against the Trump Administration and required federal taxpayers to continue funding the State of Rhode Island, it seems that he also required continued funding for his pet “non-profit,” Crossroads Rhode Island.”
Under Federal law 28 USC § 455, “any justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
Under § 455 (b)(4), it states that, “He shall also disqualify himself in the following circumstances: [if] he knows that he, individually or as a fiduciary, or his spouse or minor child residing in his household, has a financial interest in the subject matter in controversy or in a party to the proceeding, or any other interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding.”
AFL notes that “directors of non-profits have fiduciary responsibilities to their organizations under Rhode Island Law 7 R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-6-22(b).” The post further notes that even the “insistence or appearance of neutrality” is “an essential means of ensuring the reality of a fair adjudication.”
/1BREAKING — FEDERAL JUDGE McCONNELL MUST RECUSE HIMSELF IMMEDIATELY.
AFL has uncovered a major potential conflict of interest for Judge John McConnell, Chief Judge of the federal district court of Rhode Island, who halted President Trump’s temporary spending freeze.
READ ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mDEBDxd5hX
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) February 16, 2025
As mentioned above, a coalition of Democrat states’ attorneys general have agreed to a coalition to wage lawfare against President Trump. As a result, he has had more than 40 lawsuits filed against him since taking office on January 20th.
